Blues continue their pre-season campaign with a win
Waterford FC manager Jon Daly saw his side beat Bray Wanderers and Cobh Ramblers in the past week. Photo: Double L Media
Goals of quality from Conan Noonan, Tommy Lonergan and Orion Cala saw Waterford FC made it two wins from two in pre-season after a good workout against First Division side Cobh Ramblers at St. Colman’s Park on Saturday afternoon last.
After the home side started on the front foot with Kai O’Neill denied by a fine Stephen McMullan save inside the opening minute, the Blues broke the deadlock with some pure magic with 13 minutes on the clock.
Conan Noonan, who signed permanently for the Blues from Shamrock Rovers, took possession of the ball 30-yards from goal before beautifully clipping an exquisite left-footed finish past the helpless Cobh keeper Corey Chambers.
Blues captain Padraig Amond had a chance to double the lead three minutes later when he peeled off his marker to take a flicked Conor Carty pass inside the area, but Chambers made a top save to divert the ball around the posts.
The Blues were awarded a penalty on 25 minutes when Cobh midfielder Jason Abbott brought down the Waterford trialist in the area, which saw referee John Walsh point to the spot, but Carty had his left-footed spot-kick saved by keeper Corey Chambers.
Wilson Waweru got behind the Waterford defence on the right side nine minutes before the break, but defender Ronan Mansfield got in a timely block before Rhys Gourside let fly with a stinger from 25 yards a minute later, only for his effort to whistle inches wide.
As the hosts finished the half strongly, there was a half chance for their left-sided player Lucas Curtin on 43 minutes when he fired wide of the target with an effort from distance before Kai O’Neill directed Abbott’s cross wide to the sound of the half-time whistle.
Blues boss Jon Daly made ten changes for the second-half with only under 20 player Romeo Lapite staying on, and within four minutes, his side doubled their lead when Tommy Lonergan powered a 25-yard free-kick past keeper Rory Moloney, who was one of ten changes for Fran Rockett’s men.
One of those that did come on, Rhys Kelly Noonan, brought his side back into the game on 52 minutes when the attacker took the ball on the left-side of the area, and he drilled a low shot that beat Arlo Doherty at his near post.
Academy player Orion Cala put daylight between the teams once again on 67 minutes when the former Park Rangers took a pass from Lonergan 25-yards from goal, and he arrowed a sweet left-footed strike to the bottom right-hand corner past the dive of keeper Moloney.
With changes aplenty, it came as no real surprise that the remainder of the game petered out with the home side having a couple of half chances in a bid to grab a goal, but the Waterford defence held firm with pre-season games against Kerry, Wexford and Bohemians to come before the big kick-off.
Chambers; O’Neill, Griffin, Buckley, Curtin, Waweru, Gourdie, Le Bervet, Abbott, Lenihan, Trialist 1
Moloney, Trialist 2, Trialist 3, Trialist 4, Trialist 5, Kelly-Noonan, Traynor, Galvin, Deasy, Adegboyega, O’Donovan.
McMullan; Zborowski, Mahon, Mansfield, Couto; Trialist 1, Heeney, Lapite; Carty, Amond, Noonan.
Doherty; Trialist 2, Keane, Cann, McDonald; Faria, Lapite, Oladiti, Cala, Trialist 3, Lonergan.
Keohan for Lapite (64), Cass for McDonald (71), O’Brien for Cala (77)
John S. Walsh (Waterford) assisted by Alan McDonagh and Allen Martin (both Cork).
